This is the latest update on lateral partner and counsel moves in the Washington, D.C. area. The data included in these reports is primarily derived from Firm Prospects LLC. For more details and analysis, please contact TMG’s Steve Nelson (snelson@tmg-dc.com) or Dave Ris (dris@tmg-dc.com).
The expected flood of laterals in early 2021 continued in March, as 71 partner and counsel moves were reported. While the number was somewhat lower than that reported in February, when 79 moves were reported, it still ranks as one of the busier months in recent history. And the numbers were far higher than the 48 moves reported in March of 2020, the first month that the legal market was impacted by the pandemic.
More than 30 percent of the moves came from either government or industry, with 18 moves from the federal government and 5 from the private sector. Leading the way again were five moves from the Department of Justice, three of them from the Antitrust Division. The only other agency with multiple moves was the Securities & Exchange Commission, with two moves. There also were three moves from the Hill, two from the House and one from the Senate.
There were some shocking results this month in terms of the number of women partners included. For the fifth straight month, less than 30 percent of the moves were made by women. And this month, only six of the 17 female lawyers were brought in at the partner level. That compares to 39 males brought in as partners, and just nine brought in as counsel.
It also was a fairly active month for group moves, with 6 reported. Those included the merger of Kibbe & Orbe with Crowell & Moring, which involved 17 attorneys, but only one in D.C. Other transactions included a large multicity group that left Akin Gump to go to Allen & Overy which included one partner and one senior counsel in DC; a two-lawyer energy group that went from Winston & Strawn to Baker Botts; , a two lawyer antitrust group that left Baker Botts to go to Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. a two-lawyer telecom group that left Fletcher Heald & Hildreth to go to Baker & Hostetler, and a three-lawyer IP group specializing in Section 337 litigation that left Troutman Pepper to establish the D.C. office of the boutique firm Desmarais.
Other firms bringing in multiple laterals include Alston & Bird (3 moves), Cozen O’Connor (2), Davis Wright Tremaine (2), DLA Piper (3), Greenberg Traurig (4), Holland & Knight (2), Jones Day (2), Latham & Watkins (4), Mayer Brown (2), Morrison & Foerster (2), Squire Patton Boggs (2), Venable (2), and Winston & Strawn (2).
In terms of practice area, Intellectual Property returned to the top of the list, with nine moves. Other active areas included Corporate (6 moves), Antitrust (6), Energy (5), Tax (5), Government Contracts (4), and Litigation (4).
